1138 – Make Great Pets | Episode 1

Notable Language:

• Neon Yarn Suit
• The Quarterly Illusionist Showcase
• An Accepting Approach to my Imperfectness

Notable Culture:

• Whatchamacallit Candy Bar
• Perry Farrell
• Branson, MO

Notable Talking Points:

• Great Pets in History
• The Highs and Lows of Being a Pet
• A Magic Show Goodbye Party

Episode 1138 – Make Great Pets | Episode 1

 

[START OF RECORDING]

 

SCOOTER: Friends beyond the binary, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, it’s time for the podcaster who says I wish I could think of something witty to put you at ease, make you feel well…well, I’m glad you’re here…but a little bit silly. What if I said I’m glad you’re here, but I was covered in Silly String, which is kind of…I don’t know how to describe that. What if I was cover…what if I was wearing…here’s a thing; what if I said I’m glad you’re here and I was in a yarn suit, a neon yarn suit? Not that there’s anything silly about yarn, but…I don’t know. But either way, that’s the whole purpose of this greeting, is so you feel seen and welcomed in. You say, I might be able to check this podcast out. What is it again? I thought it was a sleep podcast.

 

Yeah, welcome to Sleep With Me, the podcast that’s here to put you to sleep by keeping you company because you deserve a good night’s sleep. You deserve a place you could rest, a bedtime you could look forward to, and a lot of us know how it feels in the deep, dark night, tossing and turning. That’s why I make the show. That’s why there’s a bunch of people nodding their head, also welcoming you, not in yarn suits but an imaginary yarn suit. Chapter 46 of my autobiography; An Imaginary Yarn Suit. One day, I woke up. It was my birthday and I decided instead of my birthday suit or the emperor’s new clothes, I would wear an imaginary yarn suit. But then I decided I’d stay under my blankets for a while and I’d be warmer in clothes.

 

Not the end, but the end of that, because it’s time to start Sleep With Me, a podcast…oh, if you’re new, this is a very strange show. It takes forever to get started, never goes anywhere. So, if you’re waiting for me to get kinda…I’ll try to talk in a calm voice. But this is the greeting part, but we’ll have some support — that’s how the show comes out twice a week for free — then is a long, meandering intro which is meant to ease you into bedtime, and then a bedtime story. So glad you’re here. I really hope we can help. Thanks for making it possible, my patron peeps.

 

INTRO: [INTRO MUSIC] Hey, are you up all night tossing, turning, mind racing? Trouble getting to sleep? Trouble staying asleep? Well, welcome. This is Sleep With Me, the podcast that puts you to sleep. We do it with a bedtime story. Alls you need to do is get in bed, turn out the lights, and press Play. I’m gonna do the rest. What I’m going to attempt to do is create a safe place where you could set aside whatever’s keeping you awake, whether it’s thoughts on your mind, thoughts you’re thinking about, thinking thoughts. So thoughts, feelings, anything you’re feeling emotionally that’s coming up for you, so any feelings that are there, physical sensations, changes in time, temperature, routine, so anything that’s coming up in your schedule.

 

You might have visitors, you might be going somewhere, you might not be feeling great, you might have something coming up. Whatever it is that’s keeping you awake, I’m here to take your mind off of that and keep you company. The reason I share that kinda stuff is so that you know you’re not alone. There’s two reasons that we…I make the show and why I say we, and people…I feel like this is a group thing. Even right now there’s people listening, and that’s because whatever it is that’s keeping you awake, a lot of us understand how it feels. Now, I might not have gone through the exact same thing you’re going through, whatever is keeping you awake, and I mean, there’s probably someone listening right now that has, but even if there isn’t, there’s a lot of people listening right now that can relate to how you feel, and that’s important.

 

That’s why I make the show, because I know how it feels in the deep, dark night. But I also make the show because you deserve a good night’s sleep. You deserve a place you can get some rest. You deserve a bedtime you feel neutral about or a bedtime you could look forward to and the sleep you need to make your life more manageable. That is important. If for some reason you already don’t like this show or you tried a few times and it doesn’t work for you, sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou has other sleep podcasts and sleepy audio on there. But give this show a few tries. It does take a couple tries to get used to and see how it goes, but I’m really glad you’re here. That’s my main message and that’s why I make the show.

 

So, whatever’s keeping you awake, I’m here to take your mind off of that. The way I do it is I send my voice across the deep, dark night. I’m gonna use lulling, soothing, creaky, dulcet tones, pointless meanders, superfluous tangents. So, I’ll go off topic, I’ll get mixed up, then I’ll forget what I was talking about, then I’ll backtrack, then I’ll say, what was I saying? Oh yeah, or who’s a whats-it? I’ll say, what goes in a whatchamacallit? Then I’ll go on another tangent, then I’ll forget what I was talking about again, then I’ll bounce around…so, those are superfluous tangents and pointless meanders. They come in a bunch of different other flavors. Creaky, dulcet tones just means my voice isn’t traditionally soothing because I’m more here to keep you company and take your mind off of stuff than to put you to sleep.

 

I’m here to be your friend in the deep, dark night. This is a podcast you kinda just barely listen to or you don’t even need to listen to at all, or you could sleep through it. So, sometimes people are waiting for it to get started, or when does the bedtime…when is the sleepy stuff gonna come? Like we say around here, this show’s always going nowhere. It never got…it’s always never getting started, or whatever other catchphrases we’ve unsuccessfully used. Sleep With Me; it’s really not really going anywhere in the best way possible. What I mean when I say that is that the podcast is just here…you can listen to it at whatever volume you want. You can kinda listen, but you don’t have to be engaged, but you could be. Now, if you can’t sleep, the podcast will be here to the very end.

 

I’m here to keep you company whether you’re listening or not, whether you’re awake or asleep, and I’m not really here to put you to sleep. I’m here to take your mind off of stuff, to be your bore-friend, your bore-bae, your bore-sib, your bore-bud, your bore-bestie, your neigh-bore, your bore-bor, to be your friend in the deep, dark night and keep you company while you fall asleep, or if you can’t sleep, to keep you company and to make things feel a little bit more manageable, to make things feel less lonely in the deep, dark night, ‘cause maybe you got somebody sleeping there next to you so soundly, and oh, one part of us is so happy for them. Oh boy, are we. But the reality is they need their sleep too, and I want to be here to keep you company, kind of as their proxy, if that’s the correct use of that word, which it may not be.

 

So, this is a podcast that doesn’t really put you to sleep, you don’t really listen to it, it takes a few tries to get used to. That’s what hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people have said that are now regular listeners; it took two or three tries before I realized oh, what he said about never going…and never making sense and never starting, that’s true. So, kinda just see how it goes at first and see what happens. So, a pod…what else do I gotta tell you? What more good news? Oh, okay, structure of the show. Sleep With Me follows a structure and…my thoughts are petering out as we speak. But Sleep With Me follows a very specific structure, but as you become a regular listener, you may adjust and switch around how you listen. But let me just explain to you why the show’s structured the way it is.

 

The show starts off with a greeting so you feel seen and welcome and you say hey, I might check that podcast out and see how it goes. Then there’s support for the show so it can be free, that paying for it is optional and that it comes out twice a week. Then there’s support for listeners and support for communities around the show, then there’s the intro, which goes on and on and on, and some people lump it in with the support ‘cause the intro’s between ten and twenty minutes long, and that’s what we’re doing now. But really, for a lot of listeners, it’s their favorite part of the show, maybe the only part of the show they hear, but it’s also because it’s a part of a lot of listeners’ wind-down routine, and having a wind-down routine does feel good.

 

I can tell you I don’t always want to follow it, I don’t always want to make time for it, it doesn’t always work, but it’s nice to have a way to ease into bedtime, to have a buffer between my day and when I want to fall asleep. That’s what the intro’s a part of. There is a percentage of listeners that fall asleep during the intro, there’s a percentage of listeners that skip the intro, but for most listeners, they’re either doing some sort of relaxing activity, getting ready for bed, or they’re in bed getting cozy and comfortable. So, the intro is meant to ease you into bedtime, remind you hey, you’re not alone, and remind…show you that what…how easily I can get stumbled in something I’ve done 1,100+ times, and say what was I supposed to talk about next? I totally forgot.

 

So, that’s the intro, then there’s support for the show again between the intro and the story. Then after that will be our new series, which I want to say is gonna be called Great Pets, or we make…there was a song, and this I don’t think is not based…the series is not based on the song, but the song was Perry Farrell…Perry Farrell had a song; We’ll Make Great Pets. This is Great Pets or We Make Great Pets. I don’t know, something like that. Not about…I don’t know. It’s a working title. Great Pets…probably that’s too general, maybe, though. But it really will be about great pets, or each episode will be about a great pet. Not great pets in history. I didn’t even think about that, but that could be another one down the road or a new style of narration for upcoming episodes. So, yeah, that’s interesting.

 

I’m gonna talk to the characters about that. So, okay, so…what was I talking about? Oh, structure of the show. So, there will be the bedtime story and then some thank-yous at the end. So, you just kinda gotta see how it goes and get comfortable and go from there. I mean, I’m really glad you’re here. I really appreciate you checking the show out and coming by, and I really hope I can help you fall asleep. Thanks again for coming by, and here’s a couple ways we’re able to do it for you for free twice a week.

 

Alright, I guess I’m starting this journal. Well, I’m Rin. Nice to meet you. Technically this…well, I guess they said make it conversational and they said make it modular, which I’m still trying to under…this is my first day, by the way. Technically, I’m supposed to look at this like training material for you that are listening. So, if you’re listening to this…they said just make it conversational, right? I said that already. So, I’m just being myself. This is my first…well, it’s not my first day, but you know that terminology. This is my first time making any training things. I’m a training trainee or something. So, I guess I’m just going on the instructions they gave me. They said when you fall asleep, in your dreams you’ll record a journal and this journal will be used to train the people that come after you, to learn from you.

 

But it’ll also be a chance for me to think about what did I learn from my day to day, which was that today, Day 1…Day 1, period, of this whole thing that I know of, it was very, very different than what I expected. There’s something that doesn’t quite feel right, but that could also be the fact that I spent the entire day…and I’m assuming…well, I know I’m still a pet named Igunuana…is the name of the pet, Igunuana, which I think you can guess what type of pet it is. Igunauana, but you say, Igunuana. I have a long tail and…pretty quiet. I got a home base; that’s where I’m sleeping now, with a warm rock. That is nice. The whole circulatory thing…I mean, I remember back when I was a human being on Earth, I said what is this…? What would that be like? It’s nice because…warm stuff.

 

Oh boy, is it a thrill to be warmed when you got that cool circulation. I guess ‘cause it’s a necessity, but that’s not what I’m supposed to be focused on. The physical details you’ll be trained in — as I guess I was — of body awareness and balance and movement, that’s not my area. Now, a couple other things to know…I guess I’ll just give you everything that I’m thinking of. I had free move…I have free…they put me back in my special room, my…it’s an aquarium but dry, obviously, but they don’t keep me there. I’m allowed to wander around. Now, I don’t…I’m pretty sure they trust me for…that I go back to my aquarium and use the bathroom spot in my aquarium. Now, I don’t know if they originally taught Igunuana, but…before I arrived, but let’s see. Well, I don’t know if you’re listening on your first day.

 

I mean, maybe that’ll make you feel more comfortable, to be like, I don’t even know where to start on my first day. I mean, I know where they told me to start, and even to start…they said well, the training…you’re gonna start…we’ll get to that. But it’s even a little bit strange; you fall asleep, so you find yourself inside a pet, and we’ll talk more about that. There’s no pre-assignment, and I mean, if any trainers are listening, maybe send somebody in early as…but they said it’s a one-shot deal, so they can’t do that. I guess I told them that ahead of time when I said why me. But yeah, it’s even…I woke up and here I am, and I’m just sitting here in a chair. I know it’s a dream. It’s a dream I would have, not Igunuana probably had, because I’m in my own corporal…I recognize myself as myself currently.

 

But maybe you’re listening to this ahead of time. Maybe this is the first thing you’re listening to. So, maybe I should tell you that as well if I’m here to help you and train you, right? These are things I would want to know because they were just explaining it to me ahead of time. They said well, this is what we think it’ll be like. So, during the day, if you’ve taken on this position, you will be someone’s pet. I think that’s the easiest way to look at it, but as a guest. You’ll be a guest within the pet or a sentient presence within the pet. I’m sure they’ve showed you films — mostly fictional — covering this. There was TV programs and movies with this idea of going into a human or go…I don’t know if there was a lot of going into pets, but as a guest.

 

But most of those are as tourists, though there is…they did model this thing after TV shows. Well, not exactly. I mean, some…we’ll get to that part, too. But I hope they showed you a lot of this during training. Or, now you’re saying oh, after I listen to this, I’ll be trained. But we’re only guests in the pets, so remember to be careful, be respectful. The pet will know its own limits and you’ll have your body movement background, I hope. Again, that was something…if you want to thank somebody, you don’t need to thank me, because originally they…I said you need body and…I don’t have any spatial awareness. So, it’s the first day. I’m Rin. Nice to meet you. According to what I’ve been told, I’m the first subject and I’m helping create the training for this position. I’m the first field agent.

 

But as you’re probably aware, as you were going along as a youngster or during some sort of training, you heard about the Bestless Penny Incident and how originally we had the whole idea of guardian angels and then there was the idea of guardian not-angels. Neither one of those programs worked out at all. The remaining versions of Earth, they said well, we…they still need help, these humans, and we’re pretty sure that our role is to help them. But we can’t…we haven’t been successful. Everybody thinks that the whole idea of…at least the Bestless Penny Incident realized that we don’t know what we’re doing, either. We’re just doing the best job we can, spiritual beings trying to be spiritual or whatever.

 

This is what they told me, because not everybody…most of the people that work up there, they’ve never been a human, and I’m assuming you were a human, too, on Earth. Or, now I find out a Earth. So, they have trouble relating sometimes, and I think that’s why the guardian programs did not work out. So, at some point someone came up with this idea; what about pets to help someone…to help humans at these smaller turning points in their lives? What if we could send someone…and I don’t know. Again, I don’t know if it’s ‘cause it’s a new program, but something’s…and you may be listening…and I don’t know if they edit these but it may be sticking out to you, to be like, this sounds strange. This doesn’t sound totally thought-out. But they…somebody at a meeting before my time said what about pets?

 

Everyone knows the wonder, the love, the power of pets. Pets are like angels. Now, the angels did not like that, but they realized the position they’re in. They said, but pets are real. They’re on Earth with the humans, trusted allies. Then someone said that’s not a definition…they’re…and I said okay, that’s…this is my just reviewing of it; I say okay, well, at least there was a debate about it…and said, how sound is the reasoning behind this plan? But however sound it was, I’m here now inside a pet and tasked with accomplishing…well, not just accomplishing my mission, as you’ll know…but you’ll find out, but of creating a training program while I’m doing it. But I think it helps me get my…I think that…I said that’s a pretty smart idea, to help me gather my thoughts and gather my thoughts for tomorrow.

 

I still do have to rest. They said make sure to not take too long. Don’t do it in real-time. Again, I’m not sure…they told me I’m the first, but I can’t be positive of that, and I don’t even know if pets were the first idea. I was thinking of that. You get a lot of time…don’t use it as down-time, but you do have a lot of down-time. But I said, what if pets weren’t the first thing? What else did they try? Did they try art or…? I said well, those things aren’t mobile. But anyway, I guess I’m off-track. I hope you know all that already and you just are humoring me as someone on their first day; a little nervous, trying to make sense of things for themselves. Or when you’re trying to make sense of self…things your way, you’ll relate back to this, watching me try to make sense of things.

 

Okay, so when you’re not sleeping or doing this journal thing, which I guess they’ll probably have you do…check in, you’ll find yourself in your pet. I would say the first day, my first piece of advice, take it slow. The nice thing is you’re not totally in control, so you could just let the pet run the show and kinda just sit back as a presence and observe, feel things, but don’t over-observe because I could tell you, again, if you start feeling…you get too somatic with the highs and lows of being a pet, like the cool circulation or…we’re not tourists here to have an experience; we’re there to do a job. I do respect that and I think that’s why I was…I said okay, I could do this job, maybe. I can try. I didn’t say that in the interview. I mean, obviously they said this is…you could do this or…and I said oh, thanks, great.

 

A lot of great…so, I thought it was great. I said well, if I’m gonna be a cute little bunny rabbit or something, that would be nice. So, we’re here to help humans. You know that. So, get settled in and then just keep an eye out or an ear out or whatever the heck Igunuana has. Get to know the environment, get to know the limitations, and that’s it for Day 1. What did I learn on Day 1? Not to try to do that stuff, not to try to take too much control, and to just take it easy. So, I’ll be right…I’ll be back pretty quick. I’m gonna get some rest, and I’ll talk to you. Alright, so, hey. It’s Rin again, and it’s Night 2. So, hopefully listen to Night 1 so I don’t have to explain all that stuff. I decided for Day 2, following the training we received but also the idea of training, field training or whatever, it’s time to gather the WWWs; who, what, where, when, why, how.

 

That’s kinda the easiest way…and maybe you did some of that on Day 1. That’s great, but that’s the easiest place to start; who, what, why, when, where, how, and go back to those and say those over and over again, especially if you don’t feel great, as you may not, being inside a new place. So, who am I? I’m Igunuana. You know that. But who else or who, what, where? Where and who, I think in this case, is together. Where? We’re in a house, or…yeah, a home with four young women that live together. They’re roommates. There’s two bedrooms. They share rooms together. It’s a small little home. I’ve gathered some other information about where in the world we are, and we’re in a university town, I guess you’d say. They’re a little bit…they’re within post…what do you call that? Post…they’re not college students.

 

They’re slightly older than college-student age; young adults. But some doing graduate…post-graduate studies. So, there’s Ange and Joy, who…they’re kinda the leaders of the house. They’ve been here the longest, ‘cause it’s kinda one of those places where you…the landlord rents out the rooms to students. Or, you know what I’m saying. So, they’ve lived there the longest. Then there’s Tru and Mel who share a room, and they’re a few years younger than Ange and Joy. Mel, I believe, is who I’m here to help. It’s my impression; who, what, where, when. So, I guess it’s still a who. Now, Mel…this is interesting. Now, I’m Ange’s pet, but I’ve spent a lot of time with Mel. Mel has graduated from grad school but is an inspiring illusionist, like a performer of magic tricks, just so I’m explaining it…like, very much like theatre.

 

She wants to be a professional. That’s…seems to be currently Mel’s dream, is to be a professional magician. But she says illusionist. So, I don’t know which one to go with, just ‘cause in my head, I say it’s a magician or a performer of illusions. Now, I don’t…this is the whole thing…this is tough because when they sent me out here, I didn’t think this would be…again, there could be some other thing I’m supposed to help with that I have not observed, but they said things will happen as they’re supposed to happen. Just stay observing and trust the process. So, I’m trusting the process. So, currently I’m thinking that Mel needs help because as I’ve observed, the problem isn’t just that Mel wants to be a professional illusionist.

 

Right now, Mel is having a issue with focus, the focus she needs and wants to focus on her craft to get it to the point where she could be a professional. If she just has a little bit more quiet and ability to focus and get these illusions down…’cause there’s some sort of showcase coming up. I guess there’s a quarterly showcase and it’s kinda where you could get your big break, which I think is currently…would be kind of doing warm-up…like getting on a tour…I guess like a lot of other performances; you get on tour with someone with a bigger name, learn from them, or…and what Mel would prefer, working as a part of a…in the same way but just in Las Vegas, or there’s smaller places like Branson or New York City where you could get a regular gig underneath a larger illusionist or magician kind of doing warm-up and being a part of the show, or some other tour.

 

These showcases are, from what I’ve observed today and yesterday…this is Mel’s main focus of stress, and that the current issue is that if Mel just had the perfect place to practice, everything…the skills are there and Mel’s ability is there and performance, but I haven’t seen very much of that. Mostly it’s been…and this is why I say this must be the problem. Mel wants to be a magician or illusionist, excuse me. She’s very nice to me, by the way, pats me, which is not great because it’s warm and then I say oh, and then the warmth goes away. But it’s nice at the time. But so, to do well in the showcase, to move on to the next stage, everything’s set except for the ability to have any quiet because of the other roommates.

 

Now, I will be honest that I haven’t found things particularly disruptive, but when you share a room with another person and no one has a normal 9-to-5 schedule, it is a little bit busy, and the house is not huge. But Mel is constantly saying…and get…there’s other interpersonal disagreements, but mostly keeping it to themselves and saying it out loud when I can hear it but nobody else can, of well, if they…what’s with the humming? How am I supposed to focus on this ball trick when this humming’s going on or the singing or the door-closing or the studying or the cooking or the washing of the dishes? The thing is that Mel kinda already has a idea that…just get…just move out and get your own place.

 

Now, that is, for me, my first red flag because I say well, why…if I’m part of the process, is that what I’m supposed to help with? How am I supposed to help? Because…but if that’s the solution, is…that’s what I mean by a red flag, is like, am I supposed to help with moving out or what? So, again, this is who, what, where, when are we. What; well, moving out, I guess, or the big stage…the big performance show. That’s what I believe I’m supposed to help with. Where; we got that. Oh, who…there’s one other player that people are talking about in the house, all the women, that is coming; Belinda, who is the original roommate who bought the house and is kind of like a motherly figure, a big sister, motherly aunt figure to all the women in the house and kind of like what I would assume is…Mel seems to think that Belinda’s arrival will solve things for Mel.

 

So, when is pretty soon because the magic show is coming up probably sooner…and again, I don’t think my job is to speculate but I say well, is this some sort of setup, right, if things don’t go well…there’s a lot of blaming for Mel going on of the other roommates. So, that’s when…I’m trying to move towards what should I help with, correct? Because is Mel going to be able to move to a place that’s quiet and be ready for this magic show…illusion, magic showcase? Will all that happen if I could help perfectly with it, flawlessly, in reality? No, I don’t think so. I just think the timing is too compact. So, then I’m supposed to help…if… as I believe. So, it’s who, what, where, when, how…how…how am I gonna help? That’s what I’m trying to come up with.

 

I think right now I just need to learn a little bit more tomorrow, pay attention, and see how I can help. Maybe I can help…how in the long term and the short term. Then again, you might be listening to this and laughing and saying oh, this is why…this is how not to do it. So, I may be missing something. I mean, yeah, it’s my second day, second day of anyone doing this in existence that I know of other than in fiction. So yeah, I don’t…I’m not positive, but it does seem simple. I say well, maybe that’s why they gave this job to me. You might laugh at that, too. It’s understandable. But maybe it’s simple in a sense…that’s a good way to…good way for us to get started together, working together.

 

You could see that of all the approaches I have, I hope I have an accepting approach to my imperfectness, which tells me that maybe…I feel like having an accepting approach to Mel and to the other roommates…and maybe Mel could be more accepting of the roommates. But Belinda comes tomorrow and I’m hoping that also Belinda helps get this figured out. So, yeah, I’ll be back soon. Okay, it’s me again. This is Rin, Night 3, and Belinda arrived at the house. There was some very intense things that happened before Belinda arrived because they wanted to have the place cleaned, or clean up, but Mel was very focused on focusing. The other roommates were focused on cleaning, which does make noise.

 

This time, I feel like Mel’s feelings bubbled over…sometimes, depending on the roommate, passive-aggressively, but because Tru’s younger, maybe just saying…and it was ironic because Tru was dusting and Mel said could you dust…could you possibly dust any louder? I’ve never heard feathers…and then Tru said well, I’m sorry. Did you want me to do your chores too? Because you haven’t done them…and got into a don’t-crush-my-dreams-type thing. Then it was like I’m sorry, I’m just worried about the…they said don’t worry, Belinda’s gonna help figure this all out. So, let’s see, so again, I want to come back to the…what is the…define what we’re trying to solve, right? So, I don’t know. Mel needs quiet, I think. Mel desires quiet to focus on the show.

 

I think that’s the current problem without getting too much into stuff that’s far afield of my expertise. What am I supposed to help with as a pet? Help Mel find quiet, right? So, I actually tried out a couple techniques while I was here and I also realized that…okay, so…oh, controlling…quotey, quotes…I’m sure they went over a lot of this with you at the training, but working with your pet, it is interesting. I think as time go…each passing day, you get more and more…your relationship starts…remember, your job is there as a presence and your controlling is kind of like…it’s a bit of trying to plant ideas but in the most soothing, loving way, and again, thinking about the humans and the feelings, ‘cause there is some sort of limbic thing with the pet and the humans in a positive way, and saying okay, okay, okay, we love Mel and oh boy, do we love Tru.

 

So, I found some earplugs, so I tried those, basically. That was my first foray into moving…getting Igunuana to move stuff. So, first I got…went over to the desk. I assumed there would be some earplugs. Then I put…pulled them on top of one of Mel’s performance things. But that was wrong because Mel got mad at Joy, who was the only person home at the time, and said I can’t practice magic with earplugs in because I need to hear my own voice for the performance aspect. Oh, I’m sorry, though, too. You may be thinking I’m…I’m just giving you my version of events, so it may not be…Mel’s not always like this. Obviously Igunuana loves her. She’s not like that to me. It’s just a sign that this is probably what we need to be working on. So, the earplugs did not work.

 

I started thinking of a couple other ideas to help, and Tru wants to help, too. So, then I said well, let me spend some more time with Tru when Mel’s taking a nap or busy or they’re in the same room. Plus, I don’t want to act strange, like why are you avoiding me, Igunuana? ‘Cause Tru said I can’t make everything perfectly quiet, Mel. I know I want…I really do want to help you and I know you’re excited about this showcase. Now, then Belinda came. Now, first thing Belinda said is put Igunuana back in the fishbowl or whatever, my aquarium. I said oh, boy, ‘cause I said, why…but then I realized I could just get back out. So then I snuck out and I tried to lay low because I didn’t want to get anybody in trouble. But Belinda seems like a keeper of all the girls’ secrets, separately.

 

So, from what…I stayed high, mostly on curtain rods, and watched things. There was other things going on, but nothing I would define as a solvable problem…that maybe this one’s not solvable, either. Now, Belinda has a very…qualities that leaders…they look to Belinda as their leader and for answers and someone that has more experience than them. I did have…listen in to a conversation between Mel and Belinda, which Mel kinda laid it out. I just need to move into my own place and then everything’s gonna be fine. But I don’t want…everybody’s gonna be mad at me. Oh, so this is a new layer, I learned today, is the…one of the resistances to moving is Mel’s fear of losing the friendships that…I mean, I could already say that it’s clear the friendships are deeper than just being roommates, right?

 

But that there’s some sort of comfort or fear there that there would be retaliation or they wouldn’t come to the showcase, but that by moving, it would fix everything else. Mel said I just don’t have a really good…I can’t just also…I can’t move because they’re too loud. Also, Tru and…wants to live…Tru and Mel had originally talked about…if they moved, they would get their own place and that Tru won't understand and that she breathes too loud, that whole thing. Don’t even get them started about the sleeping…that everybody snores. Belinda is trying to help, and Belinda seems to mostly be encouraging Mel to move, which not…I’m not judgmental about that, but that yes, that’ll solve all the…everything else.

 

Maybe this…I don’t know, maybe this isn’t my place, but I don’t know if that’s necessarily true, and it kinda seems more of…she seems to be saying…Belinda seems to be saying to Mel, oh yeah, and then it’ll work out for the showcase and then you’ll be on your way, and all…and that it’ll be fine. Like, encouraging…so I said well, where am I supposed to help right now? So, Mel’s said well, what should I do, then? Belinda said well, you gotta find a place. Mel said well, I don’t know if I can afford a place. Belinda said well, maybe I could help you, but you gotta find a place and think…we’ll think up an excuse. Don’t worry. So, I don’t know. Maybe it’s because I…when I was on Earth, I…whatever, I had my own imperfections and I indulged in these things.

 

It’s not a matter of right or wrong that I’m saying…not telling…but I say, isn’t there a way to solve this problem? Am I here to help solve the problem…you know what I’m saying? Belinda’s trying to solve the problem, too, but I’m not comfortable with the way Belinda’s trying to solve the problem. But I do have a couple of plans, because at least…even if I can’t…even if Belinda ends up solving the moving out problem, there is the problem of the upcoming showcase. I think I could get that solved with a couple different ideas that I have that I’ll…that I’m gonna try to implement tomorrow and that I think would help. One is quiet time and actually, Joy had brought this up already…is like, don’t…do…don’t you have a rehearsal schedule? When I was in musicals and we always had a rehearse…well, I work for myself.

 

Joy said well, you could still have your own rehearsal schedule. I think that idea’s really good, but with express quiet time where either the other roommates aren’t home intentionally or they have quiet time; no voice…headphones only and being respectful, and it would actually strengthen the friendship, show their support of the friendship that’s kind of feel…seems like one of Mel’s things, is are these…are we all gonna stay friends, right? But then there’s also this one long closet, right, and it was…and this is what’s interesting, is Belinda had a bunch of stuff in there and that was part of Belinda’s…Belinda’s still here, by the way, and staying overnight, but Belinda has a bunch of stuff in this closet that got put in Belinda’s car. They were discussing what they were gonna do with this closet now that it’s mostly cleaned out.

 

What I’m thinking…I went in there and it’s a long closet, but that you could put a table up and then Mel could climb under the…that it could be a performance…a tiny magic shop, the tiniest magic shop or whatever, tiniest magic stand. So, I’m just working on like, how can I move things around the house to plant these ideas and to see if I can influence things, right, that those could be temporary solutions that they could all work together on. So, I don’t know. I’m gonna rest and I’ll check in with you tomorrow. Oh, hi. This is Rin. Okay, a interesting thing; I…Belinda found me outside of my thing, and…there’s also a attic here that I’m now a guest in, and…’cause…so, it turns out Belinda does not like Igunuana, and by putting me in the attic, Belinda thought that that would keep me out of things or whatever.

 

If Tru can’t keep…now, the great news is, there’s so much sustenance for Igunuana up here in the attic. Holy cow, because there’s…the windows are open, so there’s a breeze, so there’s plenty of snacks for Igunuana up here. There’s nice light, but on top of that, the ventilation all runs up here. So, I can hear everything in the house. All the ventilators…because this…however they have things installed to keep the airflow, it all comes out here. So, any speaking that goes on, I’ve been able to listen in to. Then of course it took me a lot…now, actually, I’ve been pretty well-equipped. But of course I was able to get outta here, too, and…maybe…’cause not everything…everything’s a little…not everything’s screwed in perfectly. So, I was able to unscrew some stuff, and…it’s really fun being such a good climber and jumper.

 

But so, what I did do was I pulled out a calendar, a couple calendars, into more conspicuous places, and Joy brought that up right away again. I had a old playbill and a calendar and it looked like it fell off of her desk. Then she said hey, what about this idea of a rehearsal schedule? Then Tru said Mel, I could be like your stage manager. That’s a great idea; you’ll keep everything quiet. She’s like yeah, I’ll patrol around. Then the roommates also…I pulled some magic stuff into the closet, and luckily Belinda and Mel had gone out. So, I got on a table and I was doing some dancing, which Tru had already taught Igunuana to do. The other three roommates were like oh, this is great. What if this…this is like a stage. So, they started working on that while Mel and Belinda were gone.

 

So, I thought things were going really to plan and that they were…that it was gonna go great. So, even though I’m kind of supposed to be stuck up here, things looked so good up until a few hours ago. But what happened was that Belinda took Mel…I don’t know, some sort of mind…I don’t know, some sort of thing where Belinda likes to go, where they kinda say to pursue your dreams, you gotta start riding your bike down a…if you’re gonna ride a bike, ride it down a hill so you learn to go down the hill. I don’t know what the metaphor was. I couldn’t understand it.

 

So, she got Mel to commit to moving to Branson without a job…magic job, and making up this whole story which was a lie, that she had got the job and she got a job there, she’s moving to Branson, she’s gonna be living with this mentor so she can’t have a roommate, that it’s only gonna be for six months, and that the…and also, Belinda and…talked to Mel and I guess they…said I’m gonna do the magic, the…whatever…the magic showcase. I’m just gonna skip that. I guess what the plan of…moving to Branson and chasing her dream…and that it’s gonna be okay. But meanwhile, Belinda also told Tru that Mel would need her in Branson and that Tru could be her roommate, that just Mel wasn’t ready to ask her yet for any of these things, and that then it would work out just fine because they would be together.

 

Then they…then Mel told…came home, told all the roommates this story. Now, Tru had…was acting devastated, but the other two roommates were like wow, we’re so proud of you. Do a magic show for us as a goodbye party. She said, where? They told her about the stage. Then it was like, that everything was wrapped up in a strange bow, that it was like oh, this all worked out. Everybody’s dreams…this is Belinda saying this…like in the end, of this is all…it all worked out and it’s…we’re so proud of you…and that even the other roommates…Joy was like well, I guess this is…I could take information…inspiration from you, Mel. Even, I think, Mel and Tru…’cause Tru knew some stuff that Mel didn’t know yet…it was like this kind of…I don’t know.

 

It was kinda like solving a problem on a frozen lake that’s just barely frozen or something. It’s like oh, well, the lake’s frozen. Then Belinda headed off. Now, that was where I tried to snuggle with Mel. Then as the lights went out, I guess I did…I did that and Mel was like well, I’m really glad you’re gonna be there. But then I kinda went and woke the other roommates up. Then they came and they all kinda stayed in the same room together and they started talking about old times. Then Mel said well, you know, now that Belinda’s gone, I don’t even…I’m a little bit…I’m thinking I’m not 100% sure about moving to Branson. Tru said well, what if you had a friend there? She said, I don’t know. There’s something about Igunuana keeping me company that made me realize…I don’t know.

 

When I was thinking about the stage you all made for me and the schedule and that you’d be willing to sacrifice…I didn’t want to tell you the truth. I was really upset with you about making too much noise and stuff like that, but maybe I was the one that couldn’t focus. But maybe I couldn’t focus ‘cause I’m not sure what I want. Maybe I do want to be a professional illusionist, but maybe I don’t. I’m not sure I’m ready to just go pursue my dream without some sort of plan and support. Your support let me know that maybe I can’t do it without all of you or something like you. They said oh, okay. So, I’m sitting here and I’m not sure that I solved things. So, I’m not sure what I’m trying to tell you with this training…is that this is complicated stuff. But I do get the sense that my time here is done.

 

I’m feeling a little bit of detachment from Igunuana. So, as I’m recording this training session, I say this is probably a necessary process of recording these, ‘cause I don’t know if I fixed anything and I don’t know what this Belinda…so…but hopefully this is a good first day…good first couple days for me, to say huh, I guess…hopefully I’ll find out how I did. Maybe they’re evaluating me? I don’t know. Maybe they’re listening to this. I don’t know if I helped or not. I tried. So, I’m gonna stop recording and rest, but I hope this was of service to you and I hope you see…huh, what was I…? I don’t know. So, goodnight, new trainee. Thanks for joining me on my first few days of work.

 

[END OF RECORDING]